Submitting Institution: Birmingham (University of)

REF impact found 121 Case Studies

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Summary of the impact

The project led to improved public access to partner collections via a
major website, informed the design of the £10m HLF-funded Birmingham
History Galleries of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (including
innovative multi-touch software), and firmly embedded a culture of
cross-sector collaboration with impact in Birmingham, the Midlands, and
beyond.

Summary of the impact

The Beyond the Book project has had impact upon the personal and
professional development of
practitioners, especially public librarians, but also book event
organizers, and publishing
professionals. The project has achieved this impact by identifying the
pleasures that readers derive
from shared reading, the limitations of large-scale reading events for
producing social change, and
by situating the organization of such events within an international
context. The project has also
had an impact on graduate students in several nation-states through the
generation of new
methods for studying contemporary readers and reading practices.

Summary of the impact

Pioneering basic research into the role of oxygen free- radical damage
and antioxidant micro-nutrient protection in human periodontal diseases by
the Periodontal Research Group in Birmingham has led to the development
and marketing of novel toothpaste formulations and new applications for
other nutrient products in collaboration with global consumer healthcare
companies. This work has changed thinking in the field and has had
significant commercial impact in terms of changing business
R&D and marketing strategies. Resultant technologies have
demonstrated reductions in gingivitis and periodontitis with associated social,
economic and health impacts. In addition, our research is enabling
Triclosan, an antibacterial compound used widely in soaps, detergents,
mouthwashes and toothpastes, to be replaced with more
environmentally-friendly, natural and equally efficacious agents.

Submitting Institution

University of Birmingham

Unit of Assessment

Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Summary of the impact

Professor Enonchong's research has had a direct and significant effect on
the development of the
law relating to economic duress in Singapore and the Commonwealth. Prior
to the relevant impact,
the law relating to lawful act duress was in a state of flux. The High
Court of Singapore relied
directly and exclusively on Enonchong's research to extend the scope of
duress in a completely
novel way, so as to encompass a threat to do an act that is lawful. The
beneficiaries of the impact
are all those (such as courts, arbitral tribunals, lawyers and their
clients) who rely on the law of
Singapore, which is influential throughout the Commonwealth, particularly
as currently there is no
decision on the point in other Commonwealth jurisdictions.

Submitting Institution

University of Birmingham

Unit of Assessment

Law

Summary Impact Type

Legal

Research Subject Area(s)

Summary of the impact

Our biomarker research and underpinning technologies have commercially
impacted upon the global R&D strategies of Unilever, Philips and
Mars, realising new market areas for them, resulting in several million
GBP invested in related R&D as well as "claim support" for products
both in development and already available on shelves. Unilever have
adopted biomarker outcomes as endpoints in clinical trials of new
products, and Philips and Mars are developing with us saliva-based
near-patient diagnostic tests for the human and small animal markets. We
have also spun out two SME's: A) Oral Health Innovations (OHI) Ltd
has developed online risk and disease analysis software for oral
conditions, which was piloted, adopted and launched by Denplan, the UKs
largest dental capitation plan operator (accessing 6500 dentists and 1.8
million patients), at the 2013 annual British Dental Association
conference; and B) GFC Diagnostics makes SmokeScreen™ a
non-invasive, sensitive and objective saliva test developed from our
biomarker research at Birmingham University. Both technologies have
already provided demonstrable social and commercial impact
and given their uptake to date, will also deliver economic,
environmental and health impacts.

Summary of the impact

Jackson has provided professional enhancement for directors and
actors by bringing his
research-led insight into the texts and acting traditions of
Shakespearean theatre to bear on
the preparation of scripts for performances. He has achieved this through
collaboration during
rehearsals, working at a detailed level of interpretation and performance.
His research has also
enhanced cultural enrichment for audiences through such forms of public
engagement as essays
in theatre programmes.

Summary of the impact

Severe Limb Ischaemia (SLI), in which there is reduced blood flow to the
leg(s), is the commonest
cause worldwide of gangrene and limb loss. The BASIL trial, led by
Professor Andrew Bradbury at
the University of Birmingham, was the first (and remains the only)
randomised controlled trial to
investigate whether surgical bypass or endovascular (`keyhole') treatment
is best at relieving
symptoms and preventing amputation and/or death in patients with SLI. The
outcomes of the study
have been of worldwide interest, and the recommendations put forward by
the team have been
endorsed by a number of high profile clinical organisations. These
findings are also
nowincorporated within a series of national and international guidelines
on SLI.

Research Subject Area(s)

Summary of the impact

Although individually infrequent, rare diseases collectively are a major
health burden, particularly
for individuals who suffer with conditions that are not routinely
diagnosed or have no effective care
pathways. Through the work of Professor Tim Barrett, the University of
Birmingham is
internationally recognised for translational research in rare inherited
diabetes and obesity
syndromes. This has had major impacts on patient care through gene
identification for devastating
multi-system syndromes; development of a unique international diagnostic
testing service
combining molecular testing with international clinical expertise;
European reference centre status
for three NHS highly specialised multidisciplinary services; and
leadership of the European
Registry for rare diabetes syndromes. Our national and international
leadership for these
previously poorly-served conditions has enabled sharing of best clinical
practice, including
development of clinics for Wolfram syndrome across the world.

Submitting Institution

University of Birmingham

Unit of Assessment

Clinical Medicine

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Summary of the impact

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest heart rhythm abnormality,
affecting around 8.8 million people in the European Union, and confers a
substantial risk of stroke and death. It accounts for one third of
hospital admissions for cardiac rhythm disturbances, and the rate of
AF-related admissions has continued to rise in recent years. The work of
Prof Gregory Lip and Dr Deirdre Lane has made Birmingham an
internationally-respected centre of excellence for research in AF,
delivering crucial impacts in international clinical practice guidelines
and improvements in patient care within three main areas: treatment
decisions related to stroke and bleeding risk, screening practice in
primary care, and stroke and bleeding risk assessment, ultimately reducing
morbidity and mortality for a significant proportion of the population,
particularly among the elderly.

Summary of the impact

The research has had a demonstrable impact in Italy, in the UK, and
elsewhere, in the areas of
Civil Society, Public discourse, and Cultural Life.
Specifically, it has a) supported LGBTQ
community initiatives; b) helped LGBTQ individuals to meet societal
challenges and thereby
improved their well-being; c) increased public awareness and
understanding of human rights
infringements experienced by LGBTQ individuals in Italy; d) generated publications
and debates
on the incorporation of the term `queer' in Italian discourses; e)
directly influenced the writing
practice of a contemporary Italian novelist and indirectly her
readership. Beneficiaries: individuals
and groups studied in the ethnographic research; LGBTQ populations in
Italy and elsewhere, and
sections of the public concerned with the politics of sexuality and
gender.